A Reaction to Tunde Fagbenle on His view on Sanusi Lamido (VII) by Iroabuchi Onwuka

How do we begin with Khartoum and the influence of Islamic banking? We can begin by citing the role of Gold in Marakesh in the years leading to the collapse of the Moorish dynasty of Meri, Nri, and then the attraction for the City of Gold, which is Timbuktu began to invite Muslims of all types to sub Sahara. Ibn Kallon’s Chronicles demonstrate the impact of trading along the Syria Mesopotamia and the quest of spice that drove bans of brotherhood to raid islands throughout Mesopotamia. From the rule of the Almohad Caliph of Marakesh beginning from around 640 AD to sometime about 1250AD, the domination of Islam and the Arab counterparts were so complete and so thorough.

The Chronicles of Mamluk Sultan and to the Berbers and Islamic States of the North, forced small groups of Muslims to occasional set out on their own and wanted a piece of the salt and gold markets along the river Niger. The search for gold and the control of gold made these bands of Islamic raids and schools successful. The gold’s of Timbuktu and Khartoum attracted waves and waves of migration from the North Africa and even Asia, to deeper parts of Sahara. Among the roving tribes were the Tamashek and Arabic, the Bambara and Fulani, the Maghreb and Turag and of course the very Moors themselves. But it was the Fulani who later pitched their tents in Sokoto and in several parts of Northern that span throughout much of West Africa.

Timbuktu as a gold coast during the rule of Muslims over Europe in the so called Dark Ages 8th – 14th century, attracted just about everyone, especially Arabs. It must be said that when we speak of Islam in Europe, we mean only one thing, Muslims of Africa, with possible overlay of European remnant in parts of Egypt and of Asians. It is the gradual decline of these Moors in Europe that led to their overflowing in North Africa. The further decline led to other measures that involved business and commercial lending. But no doubt that banking as we understand it today was always an African affair from oldest possible transaction tablets found in Egypt to Gold as bait for and against economic misfortune of Syria, Babylon, Jordan, and so on, to the compulsory 2% Shariah provision under the Islamic administrative Umbrella from Damascus.

This 2% interest rate paradigm was one of the last of Sanusi’s action, the incident of the 2% compel a longer list of his action and inaction after a year out of which he must be seen.